Egyptian actress Wafaa Makki fell down unconscious on the court floor when she received Wednesday a 10-year jail term handed against her by the judge at a criminal court north of Cairo after she had been convicted of torturing her house maids, according to AFP.

The people surrounding the actress helped her stand up after she was unconscious for few minutes to be moved along with her mother to the women jail at Al Qanater area. The court also handed a one-year jail term against her mother, Laila Al Far, her cousin Sayyed Al Far and her former husband Ayman Al Ghazali on charges of taking part in torturing the two maid sisters Marwah, 15, and Hanadi Fikri Abdel Hamid, 18.

The security forces arrested Makki on November 5 after she had hidden for one month following the decision by the prosecution department for arresting and interrogating her over charges of torturing the two maids from the Egyptian district of Al Munufiyyah.

The incident aroused the Egyptian public opinion, which spurred the Artists Association to issue a resolution barring Makki from acting if she is convicted. The Egyptian local papers published detailed reports on the incident with graphics on the signs of torture on the bodies of the girls.

The actress’s lawyers said that they would contest the verdict but this action wouldn’t suspend the implementation of the punishment until the final sentence is issued -- Albawaba.com